2009 Winners
Individual Winner# 1
Victoria Grice, Staff Assistant
Week 9-10 Update
March 26, 2009
As I neared the end of the 10 week program, I found myself thinking "it's almost over" with some level of excitement and apprehension. Then I inevitably would come to the realization that "wait... no it's not!" because this is just the beginning of the rest of my life. The things I have learned in the Eat Wise and Exercise program have to carry on into the rest of my life from now on, if I am to truly succeed in becoming healthier. How useful is it, really, to be healthy for 10 weeks out of my life? This needs to become part of who I am, part of the way I think, and part of how I act. There are some aspects of the program that have become second nature, like eating healthier foods and making sure I do not skip meals or overeat at meals. Other things are still a work in progress, like making sure I go to the gym at least twice a week and spend at least 30 minutes several other days doing cardio workouts. I know I need to do these things, but they are not yet part of me. Maybe they won't ever be "no-brainer" things for me, but I know that I can make them part of my daily and weekly routine.
I have definitely met lots of other people who are struggling on the same path as I am. My friends in the Wednesday night aerobics class at Durham Regional are working hard toward similar goals. People in the Walk/Run Club are taking steps to become more healthy and active. And there are my nutrition and fitness coaches who seem to "have it all down," but I learned that they, too, have to actually DO IT. Just knowing how to eat healthy or stay active isn't enough. Each and every person has to actively participate in being healthy and active. So for the most part, the healthy people I see out there are not so different from me, they've just been working at it longer than I have. We're all on the same path, just in different places.
I hope that by remembering that this struggle is something I share with many people, I will be easier on myself and allow myself the time to learn new things and make mistakes, because
in the scheme of things, each day or week of my life is a small portion. But if I keep working at it, the overall effect can be great. I may not ever be a size 2 or 4, but that isn't really
my goal. My goal is to be healthier and reach a healthy weight. I still have a long way to go, but now I have the tools to work with. Basically, I have no excuse, so I'm going to get
out there and do it! Oh wait, I HAVE been doing it — for ten weeks now. I guess I'm on my way. Thanks to Life for Life for giving me this opportunity, and thanks to Kelly and Mary
Ann for walking along with me through this program!